Students gain real-world experience with summer 2024 internships

Numerous McDaniel College undergraduate students gained real-world experience by participating in summer 2024 internships. 

Internships and other experiential learning opportunities, such as study abroad, student-faculty research, and independent study, are key elements of the My Experience component of the the college's signature McDaniel Commitment. 

The McDaniel Commitment is a guarantee for all students during their time at McDaniel and is supported by the Center for Experience and Opportunity, McDaniel's one-stop shop that focuses on experiential learning and career development.

Through the McDaniel Commitment, a team of mentors helps students construct and tailor their personal educational path. The McDaniel Commitment is comprised of four components that are embedded within the college's general education curriculum: My Place, My Design, My Experience, and My Career.

*Some students received awards from the college's Center for Experience and Opportunity (CEO) to help defray the cost of participating in summer internships. Summer Intern Fellowships are supported, in part, by generous gifts from The Rupe-Stuart Internship Award, courtesy of Mark Stuart M.S. '94, a former member of the McDaniel College Board of Trustees, and Timothy Rupe, and The Nora Roberts Foundation.

Read more about the various experiences of our students: 

Olanrewaju Abayomi, a senior Computer Science major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, interned at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) as a management analyst.

Conner Audet, a senior Criminal Justice major from Clarksburg, Maryland, interned with the Department of Juvenile Services of Frederick County. Audet observed aspects of the juvenile justice system, specifically the juvenile courts and detention centers that operate alongside the Department of Juvenile Services. 

Jesse Boamah of Westminster, Maryland, who was a senior Biology major, interned as an office assistant in McDaniel College's Academic Life office.

Nadia Dennis, a junior Marketing major from Westminster, Maryland, received a Summer Intern Fellowship* to help fund her internship as a property management intern with CBRE through the BroadFutures summer program. During the internship, Dennis acted as a liaison between tenants and owners, assisted with data collection and organization, managed Certificates of Insurance (COIs), and shadowed operations related to leasing agreements. Dennis supported various team projects and ensured tenant needs were addressed promptly.

Kaami Effa, a senior Political Science and Philosophy major from Abuja, Nigeria, was awarded a Summer Intern Fellowship* and completed an internship with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). As part of the International Affairs track, she attended various lectures, site briefings, and networking events in Washington, D.C. Effa also interned with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) as part of this internship as a policy and communications intern.

Marina Ferriola, a senior Psychology major from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, was a recipient of a Summer Intern Fellowship* and interned with Child Guidance Resource Centers in Philadelphia as a mental health worker intern in their CREATE program (Creating Relationships and Emotional Adaptability in a Therapeutic Environment). This program is an intensive group therapy outpatient service for children and adolescents diagnosed with autism. Ferriola said, "I was responsible for assisting the licensed group therapist with running the different aspects of the program, which aims to help children and adolescents improve their social and communication skills, problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, flexibility, and motivation. Much of my role involved creating and maintaining therapeutic relationships with the clients, as well as co-facilitating group sessions, conducting data collection, and collaborating with other members of the team regarding client concerns."

Janiah Fields, a senior Psychology major from Randallstown, Maryland, interned for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Mental Health as a research assistant. Over the summer, Fields also facilitated a youth-led panel for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for their Black Youth Suicide Policy Academy, where she had the opportunity to collaborate with individuals on the federal level to come up with proactive solutions for Black youth suicide prevention.

Shayli Garcia-Carranze, a junior Elementary Education major from Montgomery Village, Maryland, was awarded a Summer Intern Fellowship* for her internship at Casa Chirilagua, which involved working with children of immigrant families providing elementary education support.

Clara Patrice Gonzales, a senior International Business and Marketing major from McLean, Virginia, interned with BAE Systems as the supply chain management intern, providing direct support to both the Air & Space Force and Supply Chain Solutions groups. She was part of the Intelligence & Security sector to help support the procurement function with processing purchase orders, as well as ongoing activities related to data, systems, and processes. At the conclusion of her internship, she was presented with a certificate of appreciation for her work with BAE.

Luke Hammer, a junior Kinesiology major from Elkton, Maryland, interned in golf course management at Patriots Glen Golf Club in Elkton, Maryland, as part of the grounds crew, pro-shop operations, and starter/cart guy. Hammer received hands-on experience and exposure to various aspects of managing and operating a golf course, including golf course maintenance, customer service, event management, marketing, and administration within a professional golfing environment.

Jake Kegley, a junior Business Administration major from Churchville, Maryland, interned in the audit department at Clearview Group, a management consulting and accounting (CPA) firm.

Kelly Kujawa, a junior Sociology major from Jessup, Maryland, was a student researcher with Associate Professor of English Paul Muhlhauser's Student-Faculty Collaborative Summer Research group, which looked at the intersection of sports and politics. Kujawa created infographics, wrote articles, and helped to run social media accounts to promote the group's research.

Carl McLamb, a junior Accounting major from Baltimore, interned at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Human Resources through Baltimore's CollegeBound Foundation. McLamb said, "This opportunity really helped me see how HR connects with my focus in accounting and clarified my goal of combining those areas in my career."

Faviola Mejia, a junior Accounting and Business Administration major from Randallstown, Maryland, interned with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) as an audit/tax intern. "As an intern, I was tasked with reviewing and testing client information and procedures based on specific industry regulations and other auditing/accounting compliances," said Mejia. "Our workdays also included fun social activities and/or incentives from time to time that helped keep interns engaged and motivated."

Emma Michael, a senior Criminal Justice major from Bel Air, Maryland, interned with the Maryland Access to Justice Commission. Michael said, "I developed a resource with all legislator emails and social media handles, conducted a social media audit, signed up the commission for newsletters from the civil legal aid community, helped with organizational tasks, and did small research projects."

Alishia Mitchell, a senior Social Work major from Baltimore, interned with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks in the Therapeutic Recreation division, helping to plan and organize various events for adults in day centers, like yoga, music therapy, and art therapy. Mitchell also worked one-on-one as an inclusion assistant for a child with autism in a camp setting.

Samantha Ness, a junior Criminal Justice major from Valrico, Florida, interned at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Florida. During the internship, Ness worked with the Patrol, Detention Center, and Communication units.

Liliana Overcash, a senior Kinesiology major from Bend, Oregon, interned with Point Guard College basketball camp as an instructor.

Jasmine Porter, a junior Kinesiology major from Clinton, Maryland, interned at MedStar Health Physical Therapy. Porter said, "Throughout the internship, I had the opportunity to work with dedicated physical therapists who were not only experts in their fields but also passionate about improving patient care. I was involved in projects that ranged from providing a patient care plan, being asked questions about anatomy, which allowed me to apply my knowledge that I’ve gained from McDaniel into real-world scenarios, and hands-on experiences that sharpened my skills and taught me how to navigate a patient's care plan ... Personally, this internship has affirmed my career path in health care. I am grateful to MedStar Health for providing me with this enriching experience and for fostering an environment where learning and innovation thrive. This internship has not only equipped me with practical skills but has also inspired me to pursue a career dedicated to improving health care delivery and patient outcomes."

Dimitri Raush-Gernet, a sophomore Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science major from Mount Airy, Maryland, completed an internship with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) as an international affairs intern. Raush-Gernet, who received a Summer Intern Fellowship*, interned with the Osgood Center for International Studies. "I would certainly recommend this experience to other students as I have made extremely valuable connections and have gained an immense amount of experience throughout the summer," said Raush-Gernet. "My internship at TFAS has been an extremely positive experience, it is impossible to describe how much I have learned in the eight weeks."

Sanaa Russell, a senior Psychology major from Baltimore, was awarded a Summer Intern Fellowship* for her internship with Pathways Behavioral Health. Russell interned as a behavioral therapist. She said, "This internship helped narrow my career plans. I have narrowed down the population I would like to work with and my career goal. I would like to work with the adolescent population and become a behavioral analyst."

Parth Shah, a senior Business Administration major from Ellicott City, Maryland, was an accounting intern with Source One Business Services. While gaining career-related experience in public accounting, Shah learned about federal and state tax return preparation for individuals and businesses, personal property tax returns, general accounting services, financial statement preparation, assurance engagements, and business consulting.

Max Vener, a senior Business Administration major from Easton, Maryland, interned at Kelly Distributors as a sales/logistics intern, learning the process and everyday tasks of running a small beverage distributor.

Jane Walkinshaw, a junior Environmental Studies major from Towson, Maryland, interned with Blue Water Baltimore, serving as a restoration technician. Walkinshaw helped to restore Baltimore City neighborhoods with green spaces for locals to enjoy through tree planting, tree maintenance, water quality testing, and rain garden installation to improve local water quality and provide habitats for native species.

Abby Warner, a junior Political Science major from Westminster, Maryland, interned as a law clerk at The Law Office of Sandy Steeves, assisting with legal research, drafting briefs, motions, and requests for production of documents (RPODS), among others. Warner also helped to prepare case materials for litigation, maintained files, and communicated with clients.

Theodore Wright, a senior Computer Science major from Potomac, Maryland, interned at Xometry, an on-demand industrial parts marketplace based in North Bethesda, Maryland, supporting the Financial Planning & Analysis team.